I aim to keep less than 40 emails in my inbox at any one time. I still haven’t made it to the holy grail of inbox zero, but I get pretty darn close. One other trick? I block out 2 hours a week for my own education – this is a great chance to catch up on all the great new content being produced without interrupting your regular work. When you’ve got some time to kill (hey there DMV line) you can peruse the content at your leisure. That way they stay out of your inbox (and out of your head). Using gmail? Set-up “filters” to send all those fantastic newsletters you signed up for to their own little folder. You’ll be amazed at how fast the day goes by – and how much you get done! Filter everything When the block is over, stretch for a few, regroup and get on to your next task. Set a timer (I just use my iPhone) for a block of 24-45 minutes (any longer and your mind will start to wander.) Focus on that ONE thing you need to get done and don’t give into the social media demon. If you’ve been around the world of personal development or been exposed to the idea of Getting Things Done you may have heard of the Pomodoro technique. Having the two system setup also allows me to do quick research without taking me out of design mode. I use the laptop for communication with other team members on slack, running video calls or checking email. I use my main larger imac for designing and developing my projects. To use this, 1) Remove the button from your toolbar. Now I know it might sounds crazy, but having two computers on my desk actually keeps me MORE focused. StayFocusd StayFocusd is an extension for your Google Chrome browser that limits the amount of. Click the icon, then click Settings and modify to your requirements!.You should see this blue icon in the top right corner of your browser.You will need to use Google Chrome as your browser.How to install the Get Focused extensions You can set this up block a set period of time, days and even minutes – you might just be amazed at how much time you’re spending on these sites! Instant feedback that gets me back on track. When I try to go to those sites, I get sent to a white page that nudges me with the following text “Shouldn’t you be working?”īoom. I’ve set it to block Facebook, Twitter and a few other sites from the hours of 9-5. You can configure this free program to block any number of websites for a set period of time. I found an amazing free extension called “Stay Focused.” Chrome allows you to install extensions (small programs that extend the functionality of the browser). I use Google Chrome as my primary browser. This one fix quickly changed how I stopped going down the rabbit hole of social media. I found I was getting more and more distracted (and consumed) by overwhelming content…and I needed a way to prevent me from going there. (I’m particularly looking at you, Reddit). It’s just so easy to get sucked in and then your whole day can go by with nothing of note accomplished. I get serious digital cravings – instead of reaching for a cookie, Facebook, Twitter and blogs can easily serve as my sugar fix during the day.
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